Calm in the Chaos
by Semper Paratus
Summary: He was a man out of his time searching for a place that felt like home. She was a woman out to prove that she wasn't a weakness. Together they just might have the opportunity to give each other all that they've ever wanted. Steve Rogers/OC
1. Sunrise Serenity

**Calm in the Chaos**

 **Chapter 1: Sunrise Serenity**

 _Almost there… Just breath… One foot in front of the other._

She repeated the mantra in her head over and over as she neared the end of her almost four-mile early morning jog, winding through Washington D.C.'s sparsely occupied National Mall.

 _05:51._ She read as she spared a glance at the watch on her wrist and began ascending the 145 steps leading up from the reflecting pool to the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial. _Right on time._

She didn't allow her feet to stop until she finally reached the top, oxygen burning as it flooded her lungs.

 _05:53. Not a minute to spare._

She smiled to herself as she collapsed on to the top step. She was just in time to watch the sun begin to appear on the eastern horizon behind the Washington Monument.

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 _It's almost sunrise._

He thought as his feet flew across the pavement. Recently he had decided it was best to keep his time out in the chaos of the general public to a minimum, thus making the predawn hours the best time to get in a run. More and more he found himself seeking the solitude that could only be found at times like that. He felt overwhelmingly lost in this world.

As he headed west along the reflecting pool he felt himself drawn to the picture of peace that was the seemingly deserted marble structure that marked the west end of the mall. Mounting the stairs, he took them two at a time, quickly reaching the smooth pink marble floor. Pausing for a moment under the gaze of the 16th president, he turned to take in the view of the rising sun and felt some of his tension lift.

 _A few moments of this and then it's back to reality._

His steps echoed quietly through the chamber as he made his way along the columns towards one of the far edges of the stair case. His mind focused on the calming effect of the slowly brightening sky he failed to notice the young woman perched on the stairs. The was until he nearly stumbled over her.

As she jumped up in surprise, he wasn't sure which one of them was startled more. Even on his best days he was never relaxed enough to overlook the presence of the only other living thing within that small of a space. But he did.

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She snapped to her feet and immediately began a threat assessment on the man before her, and as her green eyes met his blue ones she could tell he was doing the same. After a tense pause she relaxed a fraction. _I'm not a threat if you're not…_ She thought, hoping her body language helped convey the message.

The stare down held out for a few more long seconds before the blonde man raised his open palms in a sign of peace.

"I'm sorry ma'am" he spoke softly, his voice strong and calm "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Likewise" she replied with a slight nod of her head before turning her attention back to the swiftly brightening horizon "Beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." He breathed, following her gaze "Do you do this a lot?"

"Just when I need a constant." She answered, surprised that she was readily admitting that to a perfect stranger "Life has an unlimited number of variables, but since the beginning sunrises have been a constant. It's grounding for me."

She stole a glance up the man, expecting him to be looking at her like a crazy person. Instead she saw a look of what she could only guess to be deep thought cross his face before he spoke.

"I've never thought of it like that."

He continued to gazed eastward as a rare sense of peace flowed through him. The feeling of being lost was pushed further back in his mind and the tightness in his chest lessened.

For the next few minutes they stood in a companionable silence and watched as the sky continued to brighten. Much too soon for her liking she pushed off of the column she was leaning against and sighed.

"Time to get back to the chaos" she gave the man a smile and began descending the stairs, she called over her shoulder "It was nice talking to you"

He watched her retreating form as she faded into the many tour groups that were beginning to fill the paths.

"Yes" he said to himself as he began his trek in the opposite direction "It really was."

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 **A/N - Well there it is. After years of hiatus I'm attempting to reenter the word of writing, and boy is it scary! This was just something that came to me at work of all places, which you'll likely see is pretty common… I spend a lot of time there.**

 **Anyway, I was going for a certain feel of mystery and intrigue by sticking with pronouns instead of names in this first chapter; that being said I'm not sure that it really appeals to everyone so drop me a review and let me know! I have another version of this chapter on standby just in case. I promise that in the next chapter introductions will be made** **.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~ Semper**


	2. Quite the Commute

**Calm in the Chaos**

 **Chapter 2: One Hell of a Commute**

Rylie Walker considers herself to be a patient woman. After spending the entire twenty-seven years of her life in and around the military she had to be. But there was something about airport security that put her on edge. But between Regan International's long lines and the TSA's sloppy screening procedures who was to say what the true trigger was.

 _If the they were going to make me fly commercial they could have at least sprung for Business Class._

Rylie thought bitterly as she took a seat towards the rear of the aircraft. She was thankful that the spaces next to her remained empty as the plane began taxiing towards to runway for takeoff. All of her time for the better part of the last week had been so full of briefings and strategy meetings that she had been hard pressed to find time to eat and sleep, let alone time to sneak in an early morning jog. The forty-five-minute flight was her only time to decompress. She had been pulled for a special assignment and she should probably be taking that as a compliment, but she had been in long enough to know that wasn't always the case.

Despite what some of her counterparts and superiors had thought over the years, Rylie had worked extremely hard to get where she was. She had enlisted in the Air Force at seventeen, left for basic training three days after she graduated from high school and never looked back.

After graduating from the top of her Security Forces school, she was approached by Colonel James Grant. Little did she know that encounter would not only change the course of her career, but also her life.

 _ **9 Years Ago…**_

 _Airman 1_ _st_ _Class Rylie Walker let out a sigh of mixed emotion as she took one last look around the dorm room that had been her home for the last three months_. _The training wheels were officially off; she was headed out into the operational Air Force. She let that thought sink in for a moment as she collected the duffle bag that contained the majority of her possessions._

" _Oh good you're still here." said a voice from the doorway behind her._

 _Rylie turned to see a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair leaning on the door frame. His dark blue t-shirt and jeans gave off a civilian look, but the black boots on his feet were definitely military issue._

" _Can I help you sir?"_

" _Actually, I was kind of hoping we could help each other" he said as he stepped towards her and held out his hand "James Grant. Colonel James Grant, commander of the 26_ _th_ _Special Reaction Team."_

 _It took every ounce of Rylie's self-control to stop her jaw from hitting the floor. In Air Force Security Forces the 26_ _th_ _SRT were as revered as the Army's Howling Commandos. They were an elite team, designed to handle the most challenging situations. They foiled super-secret terror attacks, pulled off seemingly impossible hostage rescues and negotiated the surrender of international war criminals._

" _Airman Walker sir" she replied, shaking his outstretched hand "Not to be rude sir, but I'm fresh out of tech school, headed to babysit missile silos in North Dakota. I'm not sure what help I can offer you."_

" _It seems that one of your instructors is a former associate of mine. He called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me about a trainee he had." The colonel explained, his eyes studying her as he talked "He said not only did they exhibit a natural instinct for tactical work, but they also possessed a remarkable ability to stay composed and focused under every type of pressure he threw at them."_

 _Rylie meet his gaze and focused on maintaining a neutral expression._

" _But more amazing yet, was this trainee's ability to bring about that same reaction in the people around them. These are not skills that should be wasted in the barren waste land of North Dakota, Airman Walker."_

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"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to New York City's LaGuardia International Airport. Local time is 7:55am and the temperature is 68°."

The airline pilot's cheery voice called over the intercom as the plane came to a stop at the gate, bringing Rylie back to the present.

After disembarking the plane, a case of the nerves began to set in as she collected her bag from the claims carousel. Nervousness was a rare feeling for Rylie and usually steamed from a lack of focus. She took a quick moment to center herself on her mission before confidently stepping outside to hail a cab to her hotel.

 _Economy seats and no driver? Those boys at the Pentagon sure do know how to make a girl feel special…_

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The taxi ride from the airport to her midtown Manhattan hotel was almost as long as the flight itself, making the travel fatigue feel very real. Rylie quickly threw back a cup of mediocre complimentary hotel coffee, careful not to spill any, as she ironed out any wrinkles that her dress blues had developed during the trip. Typically, anytime she had to wear her more formal uniform she opted for the slacks, however for this trip she had packed the A-line skirt and black pumps.

Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she glanced at her watch.

 _09:26_ _Time to move out._

As the elevator doors closed Rylie examined the various ribbons and decorations that were pinned to her dark blue service dress coat in the reflection of the mirrored doors. Normally she preferred to stick to a much humbler appearance, but today was not a day present herself as humble. This meeting required her to present herself with the confidence and strong command presence that she had built her reputation upon.

Once outside on the sidewalk she grabbed a waiting taxi, she would have much rather walked the five blocks to her destination but the time and humidity didn't make it a viable option. She was not about to arrive both late and sweaty.

The time read _09:51_ as she stepped out on to the curb and gazed up at the enormous structure of glass and steel before her. Rylie took once last moment to herself, before stepping towards the door.

 _Deep breath in, Deep breath out. You've completed way harder missions than this._

Immediately she felt her heartrate slow and the tension in her shoulders loosen.

 _Just another day at the office._

Her heels clicked across the polished marble floors of the open lobby as she approached the desk of the receptionist, who Rylie noted was flanked on either side by a security guard.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" she greeted with a smile.

"My name is Rylie Walker; I have a ten o'clock appointment."

"Oh yes!" the woman replied instantly before getting to her feet and stepping around her desk. "Right this way Lieutenant Walker, Mr. Stark is expecting you."

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 **A/N: I feel like I crammed a lot of stuff into this chapter, yet didn't tell a whole lot of the story. It's a complicated feeling…Anyway in the next chapter we'll definitely have some introductions with some familiar faces and get deeper into the story. I stay pretty busy, so I try not to post a chapter until I'm at least a good ways into the next one to try to keep the time gap down the best I can!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has already followed this story, you're amazing! Reviews of all kinds are always appreciated.**

 **P.S. If anyone is reading from North Dakota, please forgive me ;)**

 **~Semper**


	3. The Eyes Have It

**Calm in the Chaos**

 **Chapter 3: The Eyes Have It**

 **A/N: Now that we're getting deeper into this story I thought maybe I should clarify on where in the MCU timeline I'm aiming for. The answer to that would be early in the two years between** _ **The Avengers**_ **and** _ **Winter Solider**_ **. And of course, I own none of this…I just like to play with it.**

 **Thank you to everyone who is reading, and an even bigger thank you to my sole reviewer jcstibs – your kind words are very appreciated!**

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"Everyone is set up in the third floor conference room, this place gets even more exciting when they're all here!" gushed Kelsey, the super perky receptionist, as they made their way towards an elevator.

 _Everyone? I should have known Stark wouldn't keep this meeting between us._

Rylie gave the cheerful woman next to her a smile to mask her surprise as they stepped into the car.

It quickly ascended the two floors to their destination and the doors opened to an empty hallway.

"If you'll just follow me, we're almost there." Kelsey beamed as the lieutenant fell into step behind her.

 _She doesn't walk, she bounces…_

Rylie withheld a snicker as they paused in front of the third door on the left. The receptionist gave a soft knock before pulling open the solid wood door enough to poke her head inside.

"Mr. Stark, Lt. Walker has arrived." She all but sang before opening the door the rest of the way, allowing Rylie to step into the room.

With the exception of Stark, who was having a spirited discussion with a tablet in his hands, all of the eyes in the room were immediately trained on her. Among them was a particularly memorable set of blue ones that held her gaze. Blue eyes that belonged to the blonde man from the Lincoln Memorial; the one she had rambled nonsense to while they watched the sunrise. Eyes that she now realized belonged to one Steve Rogers, also known to most of the world as Captain America.

 _Well this is embarrassing. It's a good thing he didn't want to fight._

Rylie thought as she remembered the tense first moments of their previous encounter just a couple weeks ago. 

_Maybe he won't remember me…I'm sure he comes into contact with a lot of crazy people…_

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She was the last person Steve had expected to see when Tony's unnaturally happy employee announced the arrival of their visitor. Yet when he looked up from listening to Natasha go on about another girl he should ask out; there she was. His blue eyes meet her green ones and he felt a small tinge of the peace he had felt that morning in D.C. He didn't even know her name, but somehow he found her presence oddly relaxing, and at the same time that feeling put him just slightly on edge.

After a couple of long moments, she broke eye contact and suddenly became interesting in watching Tony secure his tablet to its stand on the table.

 _Way to go Rogers, you just had to make things awkward…_

He mentally berated himself, studying her a couple seconds more before switching his attention to the wood grains of the table top and hoping no one noticed.

"She's way cuter than Jill from records." Natasha whispered with a knowing smirk, shattering his hopes for anonymity.

Steve answered her comment with a stern look that clearly stated this was _not_ the time for this discussion.

 _This is going to be a long meeting._

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"Alright if everyone would like to take a seat, we'll get to the reason I called you all here."

Tony Stark called the room to order, taking a seat on the same side of the boardroom style table as his teammates.

Rylie took the chair in the middle of the other, unoccupied side and waited for Stark to make the next move. Originally he had not been overly thrilled about her visit so she decided it was best to let him take the lead.

 _Personalities like his always respond best when they feel like they are in control._

"Although I go without introduction, for their sake, let me introduce my associates. The assassins Barton and Romanoff. The big green guy, Dr. Bruce Banner, who is joining us via video conference from where ever it is he is hiding out." He explained, gesturing to each person, and the tablet, respectively "And of course everyone's favorite ninety-year-old, the Cap. Thor is not on the planet at the current time, so we will proceed without him."

This was followed by a brief silence that Rylie took as her que to begin speaking.

"Good morning" she started, "I'm 1st Lieutenant Walker and I'm here today on behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss.."

"What she meant to say was she's here because her daddy sent her." Interrupted Stark.

"Excuse me?" Rylie questioned evenly. She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her and she wasn't about to play along.

"You did your research on me when you went through Colonel Rhodes to secure a meeting with us; I figured it was only fair that I do some research on you." The billionaire responded with a shrug. "And since your father, General Joseph Walker, is in with the Joint Chiefs that leads me to the conclusion that the reason you're here is to make him look good. Maybe secure yourself a promotion in the process?"

"I don't know that I would say he's in with the Chiefs, he's the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, high positon sure but it's not like he gets a vote." She returned casually. She had expected some difficulties from Stark, but not a full on interrogation.

"Right. So if it's not because of your connections, why else would the military's highest body of leaders send you, a junior JAG officer, to offer a proposal to the greatest team of heroes the world has ever known?"

The others followed the exchange with their eyes as though it were a tennis match.

"Well Mr. Stark, with as much digging on me as you've seem to have done, I'm sure you've come across the fact that I've been called one the US military's best SRT negotiators."

"You know I did come across that; I also came across the fact that you didn't reenlist after your initial six-year contact." He countered, proving how much research he had done on her "Yet three years, and a law degree later, you took a commission back into the Air Force. That's a bit of a drastic career change don't ya think?"

 _Did he seriously think that I would walk in here unprepared for him to reveal all of my "secrets"?_

If Tony Stark thought his little inquisition was enough to get Rylie worked up or distracted, he had severely miscalculated. If anything this display was allowing her to prove her transparency to the group, and that gave her a renewed feeling of confidence.

She was about to give him an answer when a strong, male voice beat her to it.

"Tony can you stop reciting her biography and let the lady speak?" questioned Steve Rogers from his seat to the left of Stark.

"Oh, I'm sorry Gramps. We better get a move on so we can wrap this up in time for your twelve o'clock nap."

The two assassins shared a look and Banner could be heard letting out a sigh as the two most stubborn among them locked into a brief glaring match. After a tense moment Stark waved his hand in her direction and the Captain spoke.

"Please continue Lt. Walker."

Rylie gave him a polite smile before speaking.

"Well as you all are more than well aware; the world has changed substantially following the events of the last several months. The public was made aware of threats and organizations they previously had no idea even existed." She paused, half expecting Stark to interrupt her once more, but when he stayed silent she carried on. "I was asked to speak to you on behalf of the Joint Chiefs, who as the military advisors to the President, have been tasked with creating a plan to help ease the fears of the public as well as prevent any kind of global armament escalation."

"I'm sorry, an armament escalation?" Steve repeated slowly as he processed the phrase.

"They're worried that the rest of the world will look at us as an asset of the US military. If that happens it has the potential to cause another arms race." Romanoff answered and Rylie nodded in confirmation. "You slept through the last one, but believe me, they're no fun."

"Haha" he muttered, turning his attention back to the lieutenant. "So what exactly do they want us to do?"

"The Chiefs are proposing an alliance; they would like to reach an agreement with all of you that the President can use in foreign policy to explain your relationship with the US government. And to have it all legally documented of course."

Rylie paused in her explanation to gauge their reactions. Stark was rolling his eyes and the Captain looked thoughtful. On the tablet screen Banner frowned, but did not look surprised at the announcement, while the SHEILD agents' neutral expressions remained the hardest to read.

"I'm not sure what worse; that the military's brightest minds thought they could send you in here to recruit us as weapons or that they thought it had any shot at actually working." Tony spoke up with a snort.

"As much as they would love to add your team to their arsenal Mr. Stark, even they know that won't happen." She answered, a small smile playing on her lips. "The alliance they are seeking would be more for humanitarian purposes. It was abundantly clear to us after New York that we do not possess the knowledge or resources to handle an event like that, the idea that we could call upon you should anything like that ever happen again would bring comfort to a lot of people. Not to mention help put off a little bit of political pressure from the rest of the world."

"We would eliminate that type of threat without directives from the government." He replied

"Exactly."

Tony gazed at her with a pensive look in his eyes.

 _That got his attention._

"I have a draft written up and the Pentagon isn't expecting an answer for at least the next two days." Rylie explained before he could regain his wits. "Why don't you all take time to look it over? Let me know if you're interested in discussing it further."

The billionaire took a long moment to glance at each of his counterparts before speaking.

"Why you mind giving us a minute?"

She simply nodded before stepping into the empty hall, closing the door behind her.

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"I really appreciate your help…Yeah on the glass would be great!" Rylie spoke as she took in the view of the city through glass wall of the tower.

The soft click of the conference room door was amplified in the deserted hallway and she turned to see Captain Rogers standing just outside the closed door. Observing that she was on the phone, he took several long steps away and turned to look out the glass. It appeared as though he was attempting to give her some privacy, but she was sure he was catching every word.

"Actually Derek, go ahead and make it two seats…. Thanks again." She concluded her call and moved towards Rogers.

"Sorry for interrupting." He apologized courteously.

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't work related." She answered with a playful smirk, waving off his apology. "The Capitals and Ranger are playing a preseason game in town tonight, that was my ticket guy."

He gave her a grin in return, holding back the many off topic questions on his mind.

"Stark wants his lawyers to review your proposal. Would you be able to meet with us again tomorrow afternoon?"

 _Bingo._

"Of course." She replied, turning her attention back to the view. They stood for a couple moments in companionable silence before she broke it. "So Captain, have you ever been to a hockey game?"

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 **A/N 2: Oh wow…over 2,000 words…I never intended for this chapter to be this long. I actually made several attempts at making it into two chapters and never found a spot where it still flowed the way I wanted. The length was part of the reason this took so long to get out, for that I apologize.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Semper**


	4. Democratic Decisions

**Chapter 4 – Democratic Decisions**

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 _ **Earlier, on the other side of the door…**_

The five avengers sat in silence as the door shut behind the lieutenant, each apparently lost in their own thoughts.

"So should we see what they have to offer?" Stark mused aloud after a few moments "Or just cut to the chase and them to go to hell?"

Clint rolled his eyes. Natasha frowned. Steve sat with his arms crossed against his broad chest, eyes glued to the blank wall ahead of him as he ran scenarios in his head. One by one as the others finished processing the idea on their own he could feel their eyes on him. They were waiting for him to pass judgement.

 _Sometimes being a leader sucks…_

"If what she said is true, if we have the ability to help maintain peace by just agreeing to continue what we're already doing, well then I think it would be irresponsible for us to not at least consider it." The super solider responded to their unspoken questions, which was followed by groans and more frowns.

They all should know better than to ask "What Would Steve Rogers Do?" if they didn't want his morally motivated answer.

Stark sighed "Fine. I'll have my lawyers look it over, but as soon as they find the hidden clause that makes us " _Property of the US Military_ " we're done with this Peace Corps mission got it?"

"Cap pretty much already has that stamped across his forehead." Clint snickered and was rewarded with small smiles from Steve and Natasha. "But if he's in then hell, why not?"

"I agree." The female spy added "If we can establish a relationship with them now and gather intel it could provide us with an advantage should they try to turn on us."

"It's always straight to the worst case scenario with you isn't it?" Steve breathed, to which she simply shrugged and replied "How do you think I've stayed alive this long?"

"Banner?" Tony asked, directing the room's attention to the man on the table screen.

The doctor sat for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose in conflicted thought. "I prefer to have as little involvement as possible, however I can't stand aside and watch a World War Three happen either…"

Steve nodded in understanding as the man trailed off. "So that's it then?"

"What about Thor?" Banner questioned "Shouldn't he get a vote?"

"You have his cell number? Let's give him a call." Quipped Stark.

"Tony.." Steve warned before addressing the issue at hand "I think Thor would trust us to make the best judgement, after all we have a lot more at stake here than he does."

His statement was followed by a tense silence, but no one objected.

"Well if that's settled, let's reconvene tomorrow at one o'clock." The billionaire announced "Cap since you seem the keenest on this, why don't you go inform the Lieutenant. I have some data to analyze."

The blond man just nodded and stood to leave and Natasha followed suit beside him, before she turned away she leaned closer and softly said "I hope you're sure about placing your trust in her Steve."

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Natasha's words echoed in the back of Steve's mind as he approached the will-call counter at Madison Square Garden later that night. If he hadn't made up his mind about taking Lieutenant Walker up on her on her earlier offer, the spy's parting words had done it for him. He needed to be sure as he could that he wasn't about to walk the team into a trap.

Just as Walker had said, he gave the attendant at the counter his name and she produced a ticket for him. After clearing the security line, he found the tunnel that matched the section number on his ticket. He was meet by an usher that lead him down to the very first row of seats, where the petite brunette was perched on the edge of the second seat from the aisle in a bright red shirt with a Russian sounding name and the number 8 printed on the back.

"You were serious about the hockey."

The sound of his baritone voice pulled her attention from the men running warm up drills on the ice.

"I never joke about hockey Captain." She answered with a smirk and gestured to the aisle seat to her left.

"Noted Lieutenant." He replied with a small grin of his own as he folded his tall frame into the blue plastic seat.

"Rylie." She responded, turning her attention back to the ice.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's my name, feel free to use it." Her eyes flicked back to him to catch his response "Lieutenant is such a mouth full."

"Call me Steve then, because pretty soon I'm going to think my first name is Captain." he laughed.

 _So he does have a sense of humor_

"I can only imagine." Rylie chuckled "I started out my military career enlisted, so after I took my commission sometimes I wouldn't realize that people were referring to me when they would use my rank instead of my name."

"So Stark was telling the truth?"

"Yes, everything he told you about me was the truth." She answered lightly, but then frowned "Except for that bit about me being there because my father told me to."

Steve pondered that as he watched the players in front of him line up on the ice as the announcer presented the color guard. After they all rose for the singing of the national anthem, the puck was dropped and the game began.

After the first few minutes she spared him a glance and immediately noticed the look of deep concentration on the super soldier's face as he tried to make sense of the game. She couldn't help but smile before she leaned towards him so that she didn't have to shout.

"It's a bit different than baseball."

"You've got that right." Steve replied, leaning in closer to her in order to better hear her over all the noise. Immediately he noticed the tingling feeling he got when her cool breath passed over his skin.

As the game progressed she started explaining the penalties that the referees called and the tactics that the players used. Sometime during the middle of the second twenty-minute period he was slightly startled at her outburst of excitement when the team from DC scored the first point of the game. He also found that he couldn't help but laugh at her dramatic pout when New York tied the game up right before the horn sounded signaling the end of the period.

During the short intermission before the final period of the game Rylie excused herself to go stretch her legs, leaving Steve alone with his thoughts.

There was no denying that she was easy to be around. Not once during the previous hour had he felt the uneasiness that crowded public settings like this usually brought him. She had even confirmed that Stark's information had been accurate. Rylie Walker appeared to have nothing to hide. But didn't all of the good ones seem that way?

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The last portion of the game was hard fought, but Rylie followed the sea of people out of the venue with a smile of triumph on her face and Captain Rogers at her heels.

 _Steve._ She had to remind herself. A lifetime of military influence had her hardwired to use surnames and titles.

"So?" she inquired, looking up at him as they reached a less congested stretch of sidewalk.

"Well it definitely wasn't a Dodgers game, but I can see why you enjoy it." he answered, that playful grin once again gracing his face.

Rylie had noticed that when he smiled it took away the five years of age that his more serious looks seemed to add. After seeing that a person couldn't help but want to make him smile.

"I'm glad you liked it." She said with a grin of her own. "But the question is, did you like it enough to give me a heads up on what I'm going to walk into tomorrow?"

"So this invite was a bribe for information?" His tone had grown more serious and the smile faded as he stopped walking and turned meet her eyes with his own.

"No, not at all" her words were accompanied by a shake of her head. "But if I'm going to have to listen to Tony Stark gloat before reporting to my superiors that I failed I'd like to be prepared."

Steve's gaze softened a bit at her response and his curiosity got the best of him.

"How do you think it went?"

"Well, being as diverse of a group as your team is, I'm sure it required a vote." She began, relived that he seemed to be more curious than angry when he nodded to confirm her suspicion. "That being the case, the only ones I really worry about are Stark and the S.H.E.I.L.D. agents; Barton and Romanoff? They unquestionably have their own interests, but I think the agents would follow you."

"And who's side do you think I'm on?" he questioned, his eyebrows raising towards his hairline.

"I'll get back to you in a minute." She countered lightly before continuing with her evaluation "Dr. Banner just wants to be left out as much as possible, but he wants peace. Thor doesn't have a real stake in this, but he would side with a team decision because he values loyalty."

Steve tried to maintain a neutral expression as he listened to Rylie's assessment, but he was shocked at how on target she was.

"You, you're honest, you have solid morals and ethics and a drive to do what's right. I believe that you'll at least get all of the information before telling me no."

He gave her a look full of amazement and just a dash of doubt.

"You had to conference room bugged?"

Rylie completely lost her composure and burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry Captain…I mean Steve." She got out in between giggles "I know it may not seem like it now but I'm not crazy, and even if I was, I'm not crazy enough to try to spy on a tech giant like Stark and two master assassins."

After a moment of thought, he couldn't help but crack a smile too.

"I didn't spy on you." She reiterated after the laughing ceased "I am however very confident in my ability to read people. It's saved my life a couple times."

They continued down the side walk in companionable silence until they reached an intersection where he went to move forward and she veered to the right.

"Well my hotel is this way..." She motioned down the street.

"Are you sure you 'll be alright walking alone?" Steve asked out of impulse, his hand moving to rub the back on his neck in embarrassment. Internally he hoped he hadn't offended her and felt a rush of relief when she smiled.

"I'll manage, thank you though." She said as she extended her hand to him for a parting handshake "Good night Steve."

"Good night Rylie."

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 **A/N: Alright, well there it is, chapter four. This chapter was designed in my head as a filler with a purpose, hopefully that stuck.**

 **For those who haven't spent their entire lives in a military setting, I thought I should clarify a bit on the whole Enlisted vs. Officers thing. The enlisted ranks (i.e. Airman, Specialist, Sergeants, etc.) these individuals make of the majority of the armed forces and handle most of the mission critical, everyday jobs. Anyone who meets the requirements can join as an enlisted member.**

 **Commissioned Officers (i.e. Captains, Lieutenants, Generals, etc.) make up the higher ranking leadership, in today's military obtaining one of this ranks usually requires a person to have something along the lines of a Bachelor's Degree. The US has 4 major military academies that one can graduate from and receive a commission as well as a few other options.**

 **I hope I didn't confuse anyone ;)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~Semper**


	5. Conversations

**Chapter 5 – Conversations**

Upon his return to the tower that night Steve and Natasha began comparing notes. He provided her with the information and impressions he had gathered from his outing with Rylie and Natasha shared the background information she had found on the other woman. The records included things like her military service records, college transcripts, and articles from a newspaper in Arlington, Virginia. The spy didn't name her sources, but he was pretty sure he didn't want to know.

Regardless of where the information came from it all seemed to point in the same direction.

"Seriously?" Natasha grumbled shifting through the final file folder "Who doesn't have at least a traffic ticket?"

"Based on her service records, I don't think she spent enough time stateside to cause too much trouble." Steve responded as he skimmed the documents. "Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia. Those are some rough places these days."

The redhead nodded in agreement as they moved onto information regarding the Joint Chiefs and some of the various other personnel involved in the agreement. They continued in relative silence until Tony Stark made an appearance about an hour later.

"So what's the verdict?" he called as he entered the living room type space they had been occupying. "My bet is that the Joint Chiefs are running a Hydra sleeper cell within the government."

Steve and Natasha shared a look of exasperation.

"They're clean."

"All of them?" the billionaire queried.

"The Army Chief of Staff had a mistress a few years back, but it seems that he and his wife worked it out for the kids." She responded with a sarcastic smirk.

"Damn it, I was counting on you to bust this thing." Tony rumbled, crossing his arms like a pouting child "The documents are clean. No loopholes, no hidden clauses."

"So we're doing this then?" the Captain questioned, his surprise at the other man's admission evident in his voice.

"I guess we are." He mused before adding "But there will be conditions."

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"So, these conditions?" Rylie inquired, looking up from reviewing the minor wording changes Stark's lawyers had requested for her draft of the agreement. She was slightly surprised they had objected to so little, but then again she had written it his legal team in mind.

"Well there's technically only two." Stark explained with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders "One is that you are our sole liaison. We won't be passed off to some bureaucrat's know-nothing intern. That is nonnegotiable."

Rylie nodded in understanding "And the second?"

"The second condition is that there can be additional conditions. Also nonnegotiable."

She knew the higher ups wouldn't love either of those ideas, but all of the factors had to be considered. If they wanted this little PR stunt to work, they were going to have to give the Avengers what they wanted.

"I can't believe I'm asking this, but if you trust us so little why agree at all?" she responded, glancing at the individuals seated around the table.

"You listen to a Steve Rogers Patriotic Lesson in Responsibility and then try telling him no." Clint laughed in response.

The rest muttered some form of agreement while the Captain just looked mildly offended.

"Fair enough." Rylie said with a small smile and a nod. "I will work on getting this all finalized as soon as I get back to D.C. and I'll be in contact."

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After a night of phone conversations with the Chiefs, Rylie wasn't completely sure she wanted to go back to Washington. While at they were willing to admit that she took the best course of action, they we're exactly pleased with the amendments to the original plan.

The whole thing had her in a distracted state as she wound through the crowds of travelers at LaGuardia the following morning. And that distraction is what she blamed when she almost slammed into the body of another person crossing the terminal. She came to such an abrupt halt that had it not been for the quick reflexes of said person, who had caught her by the elbow, she probably would have ended up on her ass.

"You okay there, Lieutenant?" Steve Rogers grinned down at her, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. It had taken a split second longer for him to recognize her in a grey t-shirt and jeans, but after the last two days he felt confident that he'd know those green eyes anywhere.

 _Of course, of the hundreds of people I could have blindly walked in to…_

"Yeah, I just forgot how to walk and think at the same time." She returned with a smile, meeting his eyes for a long second before nodding towards his hand that was still gently gripping her arm. "Thanks for the back up."

"Anytime." He responded as he quickly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. "So you're headed back to D.C.?"

"Yep, the Pentagon splurged for the finest economy seat that United Airlines has to offer. I'm a lucky girl." Her answer dripping with sarcasm.

"Well if you don't mind my company, I'm taking one of Tony's planes back. I'm sure we've got room for one more if you'd like a ride?"

"I'm tempted, but I'm pretty sure that would agitate Stark." Rylie replied with a laugh.

"Probably." the blond man shrugged nonchalantly, a mischievous glint lighting up his blue eyes "But that's what makes it fun."

For just an instant she found herself speechless. America's golden boy, Captain America, just encouraged her to break rules. Who the hell was she to protest?

"Lead the way Captain."

He gave her an appraising graze as though he making sure she was serious before he started down the terminal once more. Rylie had to take two steps to keep up with every one of his long strides as they approached a quieter part of the airport.

"Good morning Captain Rogers, ma'am" a middle aged man in crisp white pilot's uniform greeted the pair.

"Captain Williams" The super soldier returned with a friendly nod before introducing his companion "This is Lieutenant Walker; she'll be accompanying me back to D.C."

The pilot offered her his hand in welcome while he spoke "My apologies, I wasn't aware we had any additional passengers this morning."

"Nothing to worry about, she was a late addition." Steve assured him, giving Rylie a subtle wink as the three began walking towards a shuttle that would take them to the plane's designated hanger.

If it wasn't for her years of practice maintaining military bearing, Rylie probably would have bust of laughing. While the history books may hail Captain America as a symbol of truth, justice, and wholesome American values; Steve Rogers was proving to be much more devious than his famous alter ego.

Once on the tarmac, they were ushered up the stairs of a clean white Gulfstream 650 bearing the Stark Industries name on the tail. Rylie let out a low whistle of appreciation as she took in the accommodations of the plush cabin.

"I'm surprised; a standard Gulfstream doesn't seem like it would be flashy enough for a guy like Tony Stark." She remarked as they allowed members of the crew to stow their bags and took their seats.

The Captain seemed impressed by her remark as he settled into the seat across from her "You know about planes?"

"I am in the Air Force." She deadpanned. He shot her a skeptical look and she elaborated. "My father was a pilot before he got into military politics, so I learned a little about planes."

"Wow, he must have had some stories."

"Sure, when he was actually around." The younger woman shrugged, directing her attention out the small window on her right. The two fell into a slightly awkward silence as the plane began its ascent.

Steve's mind whorled at a million miles an hour as he berated himself for his blunder. Not only was Rylie for all intents and purposes a coworker, she was also one of the few people he'd been able to easily converse with since he awoke. And he just went and messed it up.

Little did he know, she was in the same place he was. Here she was supposed to be building a rapport with this man, a man that she actually liked talking to, and he manages to hit one sore subject and she's sulking like a teenager.

 _He didn't even bring it up idiot, you did…_

She exhaled through her nose and loosened some of the tension in her shoulders before she spoke "I'm sorry, I sound like a whiny girl with daddy issues, which I swear I'm not. My father and I just have a complicated relationship."

Steve gave her a small smile to express his understanding. Between the Avengers and S.H.E.I.L.D he had his own share of complicated relationships.

"So you're from New York, why settle in D.C.?" she inquired, hoping to get back to a lighter topic.

"A job opportunity." He explained simply, unsure of how much she knew or was supposed to know about his ongoing ventures with Nick Fury's organization. "Besides Brooklyn is a lot different than I remember it, I'm not exactly sure I'd still call it home."

Questions flashed in her eyes, but she didn't pursue them. "One of the most important lessons that comes with a military lifestyle is that people make a home, not a location. When I was on SRT home was were the team was." He tilted his head slightly, eyes focused on a spot over her shoulder as he mused over her words.

"It's super corny, I know, but it's also true." Rylie elaborated, somewhat embarrassed that she had shared her sentimental ramblings. Especially with someone like Captain America.

"No, you're spot on." Steve replied, meeting her gaze with a softened look in his eyes. Then he threw her for a curveball. "So then why did you leave?"

Surprised by his bold question, she opened her mouth to respond but then quickly snapped it closed, catching her both lip between her teeth.

"I'm sorry; you don't have to answer that." He added immediately regretting his impulse question.

"That's another complicated story, but I'll try to give you a simplified version." She explained thoughtfully, refusing to let things become awkward again. "In 2008 we were running an operation in Mogadishu, Somalia. The place was run by warlords and pirates, some of which had managed to capture some humanitarian aid workers who had gotten too close. Three men and two women, three of which were Americans."

Steve remained silent, focused on the way her calm, casual tone clashed with the tense, faraway look in her eyes. It was a look the super soldier had seen countless times in the eyes of the men that had fought alongside him through the hells of the European Front. He'd seen it in his own reflection. Wars may change, but its toll on the human heart remains the same.

"We set up to run it like any other hostage negotiation. Established an open line of communication by radio; figured out they wanted money and weapons. It was a miracle that they didn't kill those people right then. Their English was rough, none of us spoke Somali and my Arabic is crap."

"You speak Arabic?" he interjected, eyebrows raised in awe.

"Like I said not very well, but it didn't really matter. The hostages, the ransom demands, they were all just a distraction. The whole thing had been a plan to lure us into a trap so they could take our weapons and equipment before using us to try to get more out of the government. In the end we lost two of the hostages and four of my guys were shot. Three of them died before they could be evacuated; one is going to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair." She finished solemnly, the guilt that she carried evident in her voice.

The Captain leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees, his fingers laced. "You couldn't have known that would happen." His blue eyes burned into hers as he spoke in the commanding tone he reserved for his most serious words.

"I was the one communicating with the enemy, it was my job to read them and keep the situation from escalating. It was my job to keep the team safe, but instead my teammates died protecting me."

"Then they must have thought you were worth it." He echoed the words that had helped ease his guilt decades before.

Despite the fact that Steve had only officially known this woman for two days, he felt compelled to comfort her. People with shared life experience were something he had struggled to find since coming out of the ice, but in that moment he felt closer to Rylie than he had anyone he had encountered in this century.

"Regardless, it blew my confidence. I spent the next six months stateside, helping to train my replacements until they finally let me sign my separation papers." She sighed, averting her eyes from his compassionate expression. "I threw myself straight into law school, but those were the loneliest years of my life, I struggled to connect with people who had never seen what I'd seen. I didn't know who I was without the military. So after I graduated I went back, took a job that doesn't involve holding other people's live in my hands, and here we are."

"But at the same time you're glad that they don't understand because that means you protected someone." His revelation left her stunned and she simply nodded in agreement as he continued. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here."

That infectious grin of his once again graced his lips and he straightened his tall frame back in the seat. Rylie returned it with a playful smirk of her own and she responded "I would hope so; you are the reason I'm on this plane right now. Which I won't hesitate to tell Stark if he confronts me about it."

They continued their light banter until their short flight came to an end at Regan International.

"Thank you for the ride Steve." Rylie said, giving him a sincere smile as they prepared to go their separate ways. "Way better than commercial."

"You're very welcome, thank you for the conversation." He returned her smile, nervously fiddling with the straps of the duffle bag in his hands. "Maybe we could have another one over coffee sometime?"

Rylie felt the tops of her ears begin to warm and fought to control the blush that threatened to take over her face. "I'd like that."

"Alright, I'll see you soon." He responded brightly before they both went their separate ways without another word.

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 **A/N: First of all, I'm sorry this took so long to finish. My life got kind of crazy(ier) there for a bit but hopefully things will remain calm. I can't make up my mind whether I love or hate this chapter, that's another reason it took so long. I think I deleted the majority of it and started over a good three times before I even had a base line that I was okay with. So if you don't mind, please leave a review to let me know what you think!**

 **As always, thank you for reading!**

 **~Semper**


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